Vapor electric apparatus.



fine W 9 By-W M L. E. DEMPSTER. VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS. APPLICATIONTILED MAR. 19,}904.

942,378 Patented new, 1909.

Witnesses 4 Inventor;

I Leonard BDempste'r,

and 6 are @NTT LEONARD ERNEST DEMPSTER, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK,ASSIG'NOB. TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A GORPORA'IION OF NEW YORK.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Application filed marc in, 1904. Serial 1%. 198,886.

To all whom 'it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LEONARD E. Dr. P-

srnn, a subject of the King of GreatBritain,

residin at Schenectady, countyof {Sphenectady, tate of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric Aparatus, of which thefollowing is a speci cation. I

y present invention relates to the starting of vapor electric devicessuch, for example, as mercury vapor lamps or the like.

The novel features characteristic of my invention are pointed out withparticularity in the appended claims.

The invention itself, however, will be made clearer by reference'to'thefollowing description taken in connection with the accoinpanying drawins which represent my invention as a plie to' the starting of a mercuryvapor amp. I

In the drawings the highly exhausted envelop or container of the lampconsists of a tube 1 of suitable material such as glass. This tube is ofindefinite length and is provided at its upper portion with an enlargement or bulb 2 constituting a condensing chamber. The tube 1 projectsinto the condensing chamber so as to form an annular recess in which islocated a body of mercury 3 constitut-in one of the electrodes 01' thelamp. A body of mercury i at the lower end of the lamp constitutes thecob crating electrode. Suitable leadin -in con uctors 5 provided for eecting electrical connection with the electrodes and are con- .neoted tothe supply leads? and 8 of the lamp. I y

A tubular extension of the condensing 'chainberis provided at 9 andwithin this extension I locate an armature or core 10 of magneticmaterial. An inwardly projecting ridge 11 limits the movement of thecore 10 in either direction and supports the core when the latter is inits lowest position. A

material. A laterally and downwardly extending filament 18 'is securedto the upper ortion of the filament l3 and dips at its ower end 19 intothe mercury 3. An electrical connection is thus aii'orded from the main8, through the solenoid 12, to the merc'ury 3, thence through thefilaments 18 and 13 to the mercury 4 and to the other main 7. Thesolenoid'12 being thus energ'zed, the armature IQ is lifted, thus firstlfftin the lower end 14 of the filament out or the mercury 4, whereuponthemain arc starts between the two nnercury electrodes, and then liftingthe filament 18 out of the mercury 3 thus cutting the two filaments outof circuit. l/Vhen the lower electrode 4 is to be the negative orcathode, the filament 13 should be separated from the mercury 4.- beforethe filament 18 separates from the mercury 3. The arrangement should bereversed when the upper electrode is made the cathode. filament-last tobreak connection is thus prevented.

By making the conductor 13 of filainein tary form and therefore of smallcross section a considerable resistance is secured which has the etfectof causing ready transfer of the starting are from the end of thefilament at which the break first occurs, to the mercury anode.

It is evident that numerous changes may be made in the practicalembodiment of my invention without departin from the spirit of theinvention. I there ore do not wish to be limited to the exact detailsshown and described, especially since the construction shown is intendedmerely as an illustration of but one or" the many ways in which myinvention may be embodied in practice.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is,-

1 In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination of a plurality ofmercur electrodes, a filamentary conductor initially connecting saidelectrodes, and means for dissimultaneously breaking the connections atthe working surfaces of the" respective electrodes.

2.. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination of anexhausted'envelop or container provided with electrodes, a filamentextending from one electrode and making electrical connection with. theother, and

Disintegration of that end of the I 5 .-'tary' conductor electricallyconnecting said means for moving the filament relative to the envelopfor breaking the electrical connection at each electrode.

1 3. In a vapor apparatus, the combination of a'container, electrodestherein, a filameni electrodes, and means for moving said conductor soas to break the electrical connection at the negative electrode andsubseuently to break the electrical connection at t 0 positiveelectrode.

In a vapor apparatu the combination of a container, electrodes therein,a filamentary conductor electrically connectingsaid' bination of acontainer, electrodes therein, a

filament electrically connecting said elec-- gas, or vapor, apositiveand a negative elec trode therefor, of a continuous conductorbetween the positive and the negative electrode, and automatic means forseparating the said conductor from both electrodes, the rupture at thenegative electrode taking place prior to that at the positive.

-In witness whereof, I have hereunto Sci my hand this 18th day of March,1904-.

LEONARD ERNEST DEMPS'IER. Witnesses BENJANUNB. I'lKLL, HELEN Onroim.

